Adopted Brother
by Aya Diefair
Summary: When Nebula learned about Steve, she didn't like what she was told. When she first meets Steve, she does what any rational person would to those who hurt her siblings. - — Not Captain America Friendly — - Nebula & Tony Sibling Relationship - — Part of the Starkship Enterprise Series/Collection — - COMPLETE


**Author's Note:** There was always something that bothered me with how Nebula hands Tony off to Steve so trustingly in _Endgame_, when in fact I feel like Tony and Nebula exchanged a lot of stories during that long 23 days in space. So, with that in mind, I took the liberty in updating the scene a bit.

**Updated:** 9/25/19 for SPaG & sentence clarity.

**Word Count:** (Per Google Docs) 1,157

**Warning Tag: **This is not Captain America friendly. Sorrynotsorry. Referenced Justified Assault.

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**Adopted Brother**

Nebula didn't know what to think when she investigated the bright light gleaming in from the cockpit window to see a woman looking back. Tony was barely conscious, holding his hand up to block the blinding light of this person from his eyes. She stepped in front of him protectively, never taking her eyes off the woman who hovered casually out in the depths of space.

Despite the relief of someone finally finding them, she had caution ingrained into her core from her earliest childhood. It was difficult to decide if this woman was alien or human, but she wasn't going to have this bit of information keep her from allowing the woman to board.

A fleeting thought had Nebula wonder if she might be part Celestial and part human, but only had the idiot Quill to go off of based on the abilities this combination came with, and he was lackluster at best in presenting these traits aside from wielding an infinity stone. It didn't stop Nebula from asking this woman where her loyalties lie the second the back of the ship was closed and the woman approached her.

"Are you from Earth?"

The woman looked at Nebula, who remained on guard and made sure to stand between her and Tony in case she was indeed hostile.

"I promise I am a friend," she said, keeping her posture relaxed and showing no signs or threat of attack. She gave a sideways nod over to the cockpit but kept her gaze on Nebula. "I recognize him from the media. He's Tony Stark."

Nebula still didn't want to trust her, but nodded in confirmation.

The woman moved to the control panel and her hand glowed over it, seeming to charge it enough to get it to boot up. Nebula still kept her guard up, continuing to block access to the cockpit as she carefully watched what was happening.

"I'll be able to recharge your oxygen converter, but I'll have to manually fly this bird home," she said, moving fluidly over from the panel to the oxygen converters. "You two are quite lucky to be as close to Earth as you are or I might've not pinpointed you before the distress signal gave out."

Though grateful, Nebula wasn't sure what to make of her tone with this verbal observation. "You can get us to Earth? He… Tony will not last much longer. He needs urgent medical attention I can no longer provide."

"I can, and will." She turned to Nebula now, holding out her hand in greeting the same way Tony had all those weeks ago. "You can call me Carol."

"Nebula." She took the hand and gave it a quick shake.

"Let's get him home."

Carol exited the ship while Nebula made sure to strap Tony securely into the seat. He had drifted back to sleep, but his labored breathing was already subsiding some now that the converters were operating again. Nebula knew that it wasn't going to be enough to reverse the hypoxia he has spent the last few days fighting against, but it was just enough to get him home. Hopefully. His body was going to need proper recovery time and rest to recuperate from malnutrition as well as a string of other medical problems. Overall, he was in very bad shape, and Nebula wished she could do more for him.

She dutifully strapped herself in, and despite the mixed signals she received from Carol—who once against hovered outside the cockpit waiting for the signal that they were secure—she exchanged the thumbs-up that Carol offered before disappearing underneath the vessel. This was yet another gesture Tony had taught her that was also followed by learning about the Thumb War game.

The trip felt endless, but soon the Earth was in view and the bumpy entrance from the atmosphere rocked the ship down toward where Carol had received another signal from. She landed the ship in the most smoothest and gentlest way Nebula has ever felt a ship land. She didn't waste any time to unstrap herself and the now barely conscious Tony to exit their metal coffin immediately.

Wrapping an arm around Tony's waist and draping his arm over her shoulders, she looked at him for a long moment and offered a comforting twitch of her lips that was supposed to be some semblance of a smile.

No words were needed to be exchanged as tears welled in his eyes.

Nebula deboarded slowly, taking great care to not rush Tony as they stepped off the platform and onto the soft grass. A man came running ahead of the rest of the group that quickly approached them. She recognized him by description alone from Tony that this was one of the men who had beaten Tony down to the point of disabling his ability to escape Siberia two years ago.

She had only known Tony a couple of weeks, but being stranded in space offered a lot of downtime, it opened a lot of opportunities to exchange stories and allowed her and Tony to get to really know each other. Despite her confession to Tony about Thanos indirectly labeling him as one of his children—it was Thanos' way to extend utmost respect by sparing his life on Titan—she personally accepted the gesture with the hope of having a brother who could somewhat relate to her and have the relationship she yearned for like the one she wanted with her sister Gamora.

When the man reached out for Tony, his face showed relief mixed with concern so openly that it snapped Nebula into her hyper-protective mindset signaling that look wasn't genuine. She pulled Tony back and away from him before stepping in-between them and didn't even hesitate to throw a very hard, calculated left-handed hook at this man's face with her robotic arm. A quick swipe of his legs a mere second later had him flat on his back cradling his bleeding—and potentially broken—nose. Nebula promptly returned to Tony's side before he had a chance to collapse and re-secured him against herself before continuing to guide him over to the ones she knew he needed and acted as if she didn't just punch Captain America in the face moments ago.

Carol followed close behind, only pausing a moment to glance at the writhing man on the ground before stepping over him. Nebula handed Tony over to Rhodes and Pepper, who only remained on guard for the few seconds of Nebula hitting Steve before they ran up to Tony. She knew that he would be in good hands as she stepped back and allowed them to take him inside. She gave Carol a silent nod as she passed, owing her a life debt Nebula was not sure she would ever be able to repay.

Whether Tony liked it or not, he will always have Nebula's protection. It is what a good sibling does; they watch out for each other.


End file.
